Tris's Ego Defense Mechanism in Neil Burger's Divergent
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TRIS’S EGO DEFENSE MECHANISM IN NEIL BURGER’S DIVERGENT MOVIE SCRIPT 2014 : A PSYCHOANALYSIS Dwi Fatmawati1, Sugeng Purwanto2 Faculty of Language and Cultural Studies, Stikubank University E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper aims to analyze the ego defense mechanism found in the main female character in the Divergent movie script directed by Neil Burger. Divergent is an interesting movie, telling about five factions in the life of humans. This concept makes the audience imagine what if the five factions exist in the real world. This movie presents anxiety experienced by Tris as the main female character. Tris is a divergent person, characterized as having more than one nature. With this characteristic, her life is threatened by the society around as she is considered „dangerous‟. The research only focused on the defense mechanism employed by Tris to cope up with the anxiety in her life. This research used qualitative methods to reveal Tris‟ anxiety and her defense mechanism based on a psychoanalytical theory by Sigmund Freud especially that of anxiety theory. The findings show that Tris undergoes two types of anxiety in this movie script, realistic anxiety and moral anxiety on which to perform featuring five types of ego defense mechanisms, namely Displacement, Reaction formation, Sublimation, Repression, and Regression. Keywords: psychoanalysis, anxiety, ego defense mechanism, divergent 1. INTRODUCTION In this study, the researcher discussed the ego defense mechanism of the main female character in the Divergent movie script. Divergent is a 139 minute-movie released in 2014 under the direction of Neil Burger. This movie was adopted from Veronica Roth's best-seller novel (2011) with the same title. The researcher chose the movie because it is interesting with the visualization of action and romance from the novel. As well, it has some great effects, so the audience can imagine what if the five factions exist in real life. This movie tells us about the society classified into five factions (erudite, abnegation, dauntless, erudite, candor, and amity) in which each faction has a specific and unique personality. „Erudite‟ is a faction that values knowledge, „abnegation‟ valuing selflessness and helping other people, „dauntless‟ valuing bravery, „candor‟ valuing honesty, and finally „amity‟ valuing peace. A person naturally has only one faction, but some special persons have two or more factions. Such special persons are then called 'divergent‟. Beatrice Prior or nick-named „Tris‟ is the main character in this movie. She is one of the persons that have more than one faction. Although Tris is a divergent person, no one knows about it. She tried to hide this fact from other people TRIS‟S EGO DEFENSE MECHANISM IN NEIL BURGER‟S DIVERGENT MOVIE SCRIPT 2014 27 : A PSYCHOANALYSIS-DWI FATMAWATI&SUGENG PURWANTO-DBB V15 N2 JULI 2020 including her parents. This is an interesting characteristic to analyze due to her uniqueness, strength, and difference from other people. This study would be focusing on what anxiety experience by Tris and how she copes with her anxiety by using an ego defense mechanism. This research would use psychoanalysis theory by Sigmund Freud, especially anxiety theory. Based on the Sigmund Freud theory, The defense mechanism is an unconscious behavior or subconscious so that individuals feel they are getting something that is needed even though the reality is not there. Another meaning of defense mechanism is a person's desire to don't accept anything he doesn't want though the reality is there. Under certain conditions, a defense mechanism is something that is very neglected in a person. Besides that, naturally, the defense mechanism is something that existed early in life. A defense mechanism on the principle emerges in a person when confronted with situations that cause anxiety. People tend to hide negative things in him. This situation is not beneficial in the development of one's personality. In this research there are two statements of the problem as follow: 1. What anxiety does the main female character experience in Divergent movies? 2. How does the main female character use defense mechanism to cope her life in Divergent movie? 2. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK In Freud's view, the human is driven towards tension reduction, to reduce feelings anxiety. Anxiety is an aversive inner state that people seek to avoid or escape. It arises out of a conflict among the id, the ego, and the superego. Humans seek to reduce anxiety through defense mechanisms. The researcher founds some research that discusses anxiety and ego defense mechanism. The first research entitled “Jilly‟s defense mechanism as seen in Phyllis A. Whitney‟s The singing stone" by Khairul Fuad from the State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta (Fuad,2014). This research discusses how the major character reflects his anxiety. The research used a psychoanalytic approach, employing a qualitative method. And the result of this research gives the conclusion that Jilly suffers three types of anxiety: neurotic anxiety, moral anxiety, and realistic anxiety. Jilly also used defense mechanisms to cope with it, she used repression, regression, denial, and projection. TRIS‟S EGO DEFENSE MECHANISM IN NEIL BURGER‟S DIVERGENT MOVIE SCRIPT 2014 28 : A PSYCHOANALYSIS-DWI FATMAWATI&SUGENG PURWANTO-DBB V15 N2 JULI 2020 The 2nd research entitled “Voldemort‟s Anxiety and Defense Mechanism in Rowling‟s Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows: A Psychoanalysis Study” by Brigitta Arsilia Wibiana, Yogyakarta State University (Wibiana, 2018). This research is aimed to identify the kinds of anxiety experienced by Voldemort and the causes of the anxiety and to reveal Voldemort‟s defense mechanisms to overcome his anxiety as well as its impact on himself and the society. This research used psychoanalysis theory. And the result of this research shows that Voldemort as a villain and tyrant also experiences various anxieties which are caused by his childhood experience and human drive. To overcome his anxieties, Voldemort forms several defense mechanisms. However, his excessive defense mechanisms eventually lead to other problems not only for himself but also for society. All the researchers above have some similarities with this research. They discuss with the same focuses theory it is Psychoanalysis theory especially theory of anxiety. To analyzing Tris Prior's characteristics in 'a movie entitled 'Divergent', the researcher uses the psychoanalysis study. The researcher uses psychoanalysis theory by Sigmund Freud, especially anxiety and ego defense mechanism theory. To analyze the characterization of the main female character, the researcher would be to analyze the anxiety and ego defense mechanism theory by Sigmund Freud. Here is more explanation about the kinds of anxiety and defense mechanism. There are three kinds of anxiety : 1. Neurotic Anxiety Neurotic anxiety is an anxiety about the things that exist in the shadow of a person because of her/ his previous experience. A person may have neurotic anxiety because of his/ her experience and anxiety punished by his or her parents as a child. 2. Moral Anxiety Moral anxiety is the result of a conflict between the id and superego. According to Feist, moral anxiety is conflict result between ego and superego. This anxiety is the fear of an individual's conscience, The person will do something contrary to the desires of the superego. 3. Realistic Anxiety Realistic anxiety comes from fear of danger from the external world, real, objective sources of danger in the environment. This anxiety leads people to think about how to face the danger and take action on it. TRIS‟S EGO DEFENSE MECHANISM IN NEIL BURGER‟S DIVERGENT MOVIE SCRIPT 2014 29 : A PSYCHOANALYSIS-DWI FATMAWATI&SUGENG PURWANTO-DBB V15 N2 JULI 2020 Moreover human also has strategies to face the pressure. Freud said that strategies used by human as a defense mechanism. Here, the principal of defense mechanism includes repression, reaction formation, displacement, fixation, regression, projection, introjections, sublimation (Feist, 2008: 35). 1. Repression Repression press ideas, instinct, memory, and thought that can cause anxiety to get out of consciousness. Repression is the basic defense mechanism because it involved in each other. 2. Reaction formation Reaction formation is a defense mechanism that pushes away threatening impulses by overemphasizing the opposite in one‟s thoughts and words. 3. Displacement Displacement carried out by transferring to other targets. Displacement involves taking out our frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening. 4. Fixation Fixation is the cessation of normal development at a certain stage, because the development of the sequel is very difficult, causing frustration and anxiety are too strong. 5. Regression Regression is a defense mechanism when a person back to a lower level and less mature in adaptation. Regression is returned to an earlier, safer stage of one's life to escape present threats. 6. Projection Projection is an attempt to blame others about their failures, difficulties, or desire that is not good. 7. Introjection Introjection is a defense mechanism when a person enters the positive qualities of others into his/ her ego. 8. Sublimation Sublimation is a defense mechanism to prevent or relieve anxiety by changing is into human behavior that is acceptable and appreciated by society. TRIS‟S EGO DEFENSE MECHANISM IN NEIL BURGER‟S DIVERGENT MOVIE SCRIPT 2014 30 : A PSYCHOANALYSIS-DWI FATMAWATI&SUGENG PURWANTO-DBB V15 N2 JULI 2020 The researcher used Sigmund Freud's theory because the researcher wanted to analyze anxiety and defense mechanisms, Sigmund Freud theory is a match for analyzing this research. 3. METHOD In this research, the researcher uses qualitative descriptive methods to reveal The main character‟s anxiety and defense mechanism. This study uses library and online research in the process of collecting the data. The main data is from the movie itself and the movie script of the Divergent movie with English subtitles.